Control cable arrangement for scrapers



Jul 7, 1942.

R. G. LE TOURNEAU CONTROL CABLE ARRANGEMENT FOR SCRAPERS Filed April 9,- 1941 INVENTOR.

R. G. Le Tournee w.

A TTORNEYS rumba July-$194 21 UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE I 4 Connor. ems GEMENT roar scnb g Robert Gilmore Le Tourneau, Peoria, assignor to R. G. Le Tourneau, lnc., a corporation Application April 9, ion; Serial'No. 387,560

a This invention relates to scrapers of that type having a. front vertically movable apron and a forwardly movable tailgate by means of which the. dumping of the load is effected-as for instance is shown in my patents, No. 2,122,105 dated March 22, 1938 and No. 2,229,103 dated January 21, 1941. In the structures of these patents, the

'movement of the apron and tailgate'in the desired successive order is controlled 'by a single cable from' the power unit or' cable drum on the tractor, and in connecting such cable to the apron and tailgate, sundry cable engaging sheaves are disposed where they are exposed to the 6 Claims. (01. 37-426) the bowl by the forward movement of a tailgate which is mounted on a carriage I movable lengthwise of the scraper and which includes depending side arms- 8 on the outside of the frames I, as shown in said Patent No. 2,229,103.

The scraper frame at its forward end is supported from a front wheel truck 9 or similar abrasive wear of the dirt; and also, are apt -to become clogged. a

It is therefore the principal object of the present invention to provide a control cable arrangement for the purpose which retains all the advantages or the former but which eliminates the placing of the sheaves in the dirt zone, and disposes all but a very few in compact relation to each other so that they may be readily housed over as a unit for further protection if desired.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as willfully appear by a perusal of the following Specification and claims. 7

In the drawing similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

. Figure 1 is-a side outline of a scraper having an apron and a tailgate, showing my improved control cable arrangement applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the cable arrangement in somewhat diagrammatic form and detached.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawing, the frame of the scraper as shown comprises main side frames I, a central hollow beam 2 sloping upwardly from the rear end over and above the frames I and connected at its forward end to the top of a lateral A or a wishbone frame 3 which upstands from the frames I at their forward end. The beam 2 not only serves to brace the framing but also contains the pull-back spring of the tailgate,

as shown for instance in my Patent No. 2,214,138

supporting member, by means of a yoke and gooseneck unit l0 hingedly connected to the scraper for relative tilting movement in a vertical plane; such movement being controlled by substantially the same mechanism as shown in my Patent No. 2,122,105, and which mechanism forms no part of the present invention. The above described parts are standard in one form or another in my scrapers of this general type, and-I do not disturb or alter the same in any way in applying my improved cable control arrangement thereto. Such arrangement includes a mainpull cable ll extending rearwardly'from the, drum. on the tractor, an apron lift cable 12 and a tailgatecable l3; laterally spaced floating sheave blocks H and I5 having two and three sheaves respectively disposed on top of the beam Z'normally near its forward end, and a foursheave block l6 fixed on the beam 2 near its rear endand a direction changing pulley l'i also mounted on said beam rearwardly of the block l6.

The cable H extends from the tractor through a direction changing pulley unit It on the gooseneck, about a pulley IS on the beam 2 at its forward end, and through an eye 20 on the block 14. After passing through the eye' the cable extends as at A to and about the top sheave of block 16, then forward as at B to the top sheave of the block I4, then back as at C about the second sheave of the block l6 and then again forward about the other sheave of said block I. The cable then extends from said block I! back to and about the pulley I! as at D and then forwardly as at E to the bottom sheave of block 15. The cable then extends from block it? back to and about the third sheave on block 16 as at 1'. forward as at G to and about the second sheave of the block l5, back to and about, the bottom sheave of the block 16, again forward to and about the bottom sheave of the block l5 and then bacilliI as at H to an anchor adjacent pulley II as at The cable I2 is anchored on the block it as at I forwardly and about a direction changing pulley 26 on the beam 2 adjacent its forward end, then down about a direction changingpulley 21 on the adjacent side of frame 3, and another pulley 28 on the adjacent frame I on a level with the lower end of the corresponding tailgate arm I, and back from said pulley to a connection with said arm as at 29, I

With this arrangement it will be seen that the greater majority of the necessary sheaves and lengths of cable are disposed ina compact relationship on top of the beam 2 which is above the dirt loading area. Also this arrangement enables the sheaves and cable to be readily housed over as a further protection.

In operation it will be seen that a pull on the cable II is transmitted from the anchored block it to both floating blocks I4 and i5. Since the resistance to upward movement of the apron (when the scraper is loader) is less than the resistance to forward movement of the tailgate, the sheave block it moves rearwardly first, thus pulling on the cable l2 and lifting the apron. After the apron is fully lifted and the block l4 can no'longer move rearwardly, the block l5 moves rearwardly. This pulls rearwardly on the two runs of the cable l3 and by reason of the di rection changing pulleys 21 and 28, the rear portions of said cable runs are pulled forwardly, advancing' the tailgate. When the cable II is slacked the spring motor of Patent No. 2,214,138 retracts the tailgate, while the apron drops to a normal position of its own weight.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detailthe present and preferred construction'of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a scraper having a frame which includes a central longitudinal beam above the dirt carrying area of the scraper, a vertically movable front apron for the bowl of the scraper and a forwardly movable tailgate to cooperate with and push dirt from the bowl; a control cable arrangement for raising the apron and then moving the tailgate forward comprising a main pull cable extending rearwardly from ahead of the scraper, a multiple sheave block fixed on the beam, a pair of separate floating sheave blocks disposed on said beam ahead of the fixed block, the cable extending first to the fixed block, then running between said block and one of the floating blocks and subsequently between said fixed block and the other floating block and then to an anchor adjacent the fixed block, a cable secured to one of the floating blocks and extending thence to the apron to lift the same with rearward movement of said one floating block, another cable secured to the other floating block and extending thence to a connection with the tailgate, and

direction changing pulleys over which said last named cable passes to cause the tailgate to be advanced with rearward movement of said other floating block.

cable extending rearwardly from ahead of the scraper, a multiple sheave block fixed on the beam, a pair of separate floating sheave blocks disposed on said beam ahead of the fixed block, the cable extending first to the fixed block, then running between said block and one of the floating blocks and subsequently between said fixed block andthe other floating block and then to an anchor adjacent the fixed block, a cable secured to one of the floating blocks and extending thence to the apron to lift the same with rearward movement of said one floating block, the tailgate including a carriage having side arms depending outside the bowl, another cable secured centrally of its ends to the other floating block to provide a pair of identical runs, both of which are connected at their initially free end to the side arms and direction changing pulleys over which each run of the last named cable passes disposed to cause the carriage to be pulled forwardly with rearward movement of said other floating block.

3. In a scraper having a frame which includes a central longitudinal beam above the dirt car- 'rying area of the scraper; a vertically movable ward movement of said one floating block, an-

other cable connected to the other floating block and to the tailgate, direction changing pulleys over which said other cable passes to cause the tailgate to be advanced with rearward movement of said other floating block and a main pull cable engaging and threaded between the fixed and floating blocks in predetermined order and so as to cause the floating blocks to be moved rearwardly separately from each other.

4. In a' scraper having a frame, a vertically movable front apron for the bowl of the scraper and a forwardly movable tailgate to cooperate with andpush dirt from the bowl; a control cable arrangement for raising the apron and then moving the tailgate forward comprising a fixed sheave block, a pair of separate floating sheave blocks spaced from said fixed block lengthwise of the scraper, connection means between one floating block and the apron to lift the latter upon movement of said one floating block lengthwise of the scraper in one direction, connection means between the other floating block and thetailgate to advance the latter upon movement 'of said other floating block lengthwise of the scraper in one direction, a main pull cable threaded betwen the fixed and floating blocks in predetermined order to move said floating blocks separately in said one direction when said main cable is pulled and a member rigid with the scraper frame above the dirt carry area I on which the fixed and floating blocks are supported.

5. In a scraper which includes a central longitudinal beam above the bowl oi the scraper, a vertically movable front apron for the bowl and a forwardly movable tailgate in the bowl; a conthe other floating block and then to an anchor adjacent the fixed block, a cable secured to one 6. In a scraper having a frame winch includes prising a main pull cable, a multiple sheave block of the floating blocks and extending thence to the apron to lift the same with movement of said one floating block toward the fixed block, another cable secured to the other floating block and extending thence to a connection with the tailgate and direction changing pulleys over which said last named cable passes to cause the tailgate to be advanced with movement or said other floating block toward the fixed block.

fixed on the beam, a pair of separate floating sheave blocks disposed on the beam in spaced relation to the fixed block, the cable extending first to the fixed block, then running between said fixed block and one of the floating blocks and subsequently between said fixed block and the other floating block and then to an anchor, another cablesecured to one of the floating blocks and extending thence to the apron to lift the same with movement of said onefioating block toward the fixed block' and a third cable secured to the other floating block and extending thence to a connection with the dirt discharge element and arranged to cause the element'to be moved in said one direction with movement of said other floating block toward the fixed block.

ROBERT G. LE TOURNEAU. 

